All Academic Camp - Saturday Recap

Ephraim McDowell | Friday, July 9th, 2010

All Academic Camp - Saturday Recap

Coaches from the top academic schools from the country descended on Brandeis University Saturday for Hoop Mountain’s annual Academic All-American Camp. The NESCAC, UAA, Ivy League, and Patriot League were well represented in the gym for a camp loaded with 300 high-level student athletes. 33 states are represented on the camp roster, so the camp is truly a national event. Here are the New England natives who stood out in the field:

Armani Cotton, Tommy Carpenter, Joe Sharkey, John Golden, Northfield Mt. Hermon- John Carroll’s trio was tremendous Saturday. Cotton and Carpenter are wing athletes with great length, who are always around the ball. They offensive rebound, slash, and score on the break. Not surprisingly, the Ivy and Patriot League coaches in attendance followed Cotton and Carpenter throughout the day. Brown commit Joe Sharkey made plays off the dribble consistently with his crafty handle and court vision. Finally, Golden is one of the top athletes at camp and can also really shoot it. He elevates and finishes with both hands around the rim.

Ishmael Kalilou, Taft School- Kalilou was extremely impressive today, and a number of high-academic Division 1 schools took note. His strength and skill are undeniable, and he put up a lot of points in his morning game. He pulled-up from three and made several efficient drives to the hoop. Not a great athlete, Kalilou’s game is based on his terrific skill set.

Nick Pendergast, Kent School- A 6’6 wing with a phenomenal stroke, Pendergast has really opened eyes and is a legitimate Division 1 prospect. In his afternoon game, Pendergast had a series where he nailed consecutive threes, had a huge block, and then had a wing drive and dunk.

Cam Shorey, Phillips Exeter- Multiple college coaches swear that Shorey is the best player at camp this week. His strong frame, toughness, and shooting ability are tremendous. In his afternoon game, Shorey made multiple threes, played smart and under control, and had one baseline drive which he finished with a powerful dunk.

Ben Ferris, Essex HS- Ferris is at the top of his game, showing a confident stroke and very good springs. He is playing very well off the ball, getting open in the halfcourt for jumpers and also running the wing hard on the break for finishes at the rim. On one play today, Ferris made a jab step and drove baseline, to finish with a dunk over a help-side defender.

Ryan Kilcullen, Phillips Exeter- Kilcullen is always in the right spot on the floor, getting loose balls, rebounding the ball, and getting open underneath the basket. In addition to the little things, Kilcullen shot the ball great today, demonstrating his potent pick and pop ability.

Joe Mussachia, Manchester-Essex Regional- College coaches have been raving about Mussachia’s tough, hard-nosed style of play. He attacks the hoop and never shies away from contact around the rim. His inside-out capabilities have been on display too, as he has knocked down several smooth-looking jumpers.

Connor Green, Bishop Guertin HS- A tough competitor, Green played especially well in his afternoon game on center court. His size and strength allowed him to overpower smaller wings on his way to the basket, and his perimeter stroke was on-point, as he tallied several of his points from beyond the arc.

C.J. Moss, Taft School- A college coach told me that he didn’t think anyone was shooting the ball better off the dribble than Moss. He has mastered the art of putting his defender on his heels and pulling up from deep. Though still unconventional, his jumper is vastly improved this July.

Billy Murphy, Brunswick- A 6’8 rising junior, Murphy has caught a lot of eyes in the past two days. Long, lean, with a good stroke, Murphy is a potential Ivy League prospect down the line. Murphy has solidified himself as one of the best breakout players at the camp.

John Powell, Brimmer and May- Powell stopped by camp on Friday night and made his presence felt in the short time he was here. His size, length, and mobility make him an intriguing scholarship prospect in a few years. His motor was especially impressive—Powell made a living rebounding and running the floor hard in transition.

Jake Donnelly, Champlain Valley Union- The heady point guard always takes care of the ball. While he does not have blow-by speed, he is able to put defenders on his hip because he is adept at changing pace with the dribble.

Josh Engler, Ridgefield HS- Known as a standstill shooter, Engler showed decent bounce to compliment his stroke. He caught fire in the first half of his night game, nailing five shots from the perimeter.

Jared Fay, Brimmer and May- Maybe Jared has been inspired by his brother Jake’s terrific performance during the live period so far, because he has been great all camp long. He has knocked down a ton of open shots and scored easy baskets in transition. Fay has been amongst the most athletic wings at camp with a series of two-handed dunks.

Dennis Levene, Choate- Ivy League coaches were highly intrigued with Levene’s high academic index and great stroke. He is a tremendous trail four man who must be guarded from deep.

Laurent Firlotte, Green Farms Academy- A three-point specialist, Firlotte was in rhythm today. The lefty really stretched the floor with his range and knock-down ability. He made a ton of shots throughout the day.

Bryan Hurley, BC High- Known as a pure point with great intangibles, Hurley stroked the ball with confidence in his afternoon game. He proved that opposing point guards cannot settle for going underneath ball screens, as he stepped behind the pick and hit threes on consecutive possessions.

Christian McCue, Hampden Academy- The 2012 combo guard got hot in his afternoon game, netting a few deep threes. McCue has a good handle and decent quickness to keep defenders honest off the dribble.

Tell White, Suffield Academy- A versatile hard-working player, the Suffield post grad does several things well. He rebounds the ball in traffic, runs hard on the break, and finishes with a soft touch in the paint. At 6’6, he is an ideal energy 3 man for a NESCAC school.

Myles Brilhante, St. Andrew’s- He showed off his deep range on a number of occasions, hitting from well beyond the college line on Brandeis’ center court. The compact point guard also pushed the ball relentlessly, always operating in attack mode.

Jaymie Spears, St. Marks- Saturday was a solid day for Spears, running the offense and connecting on a number of pull ups. The diminutive point guard pushes the ball hard off of outlet passes and weaves through traffic with his quickness.

Steve Spirou, Pelham High- A slasher, Spirou’s patented move is a quick spin move. He got to the basket over and over in his morning game, finishing with an assortment of floaters and reverse layups.

Kevin Bentivegna, Fairfield Ludlowe HS- Bentrivenga impressed at Super Week 1 and continued his strong play today. He is a scoring point guard with a quick release, and he does not hesitate to fire from deep.

Ray Bessette, Brewer HS- Bessette is a talented all-around guard who can shoot, dribble, and pass. He does everything crisply and has a textbook stroke from deep.